A friend suggested visiting the National Gallery in Oslo. Having had the opportunity of admiring the works of Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Pablo Picasso and others in the last few years, I was naturally curious as to what Norwegian artists had come up with in the past. The visit turned out to be a truly instructive one. I realized the depth and range of work done by painters as well as sculptors and marvelled at the passion and artistic fervour of the artists concerned.
Founded in 1837, the National Gallery houses Norway’s largest public collection of paintings, drawings and sculptures. In its permanent and temporary exhibitions, the museum presents older art, with principal emphasis on art from Norway.
Highlights from the collection are shown in the permanent exhibition “The Dance of Life – The Collection from Antiquity to 1945”.
The exhibition presents a chronological overview of more than 300 Norwegian and international masterpieces from the Renaissance, the Baroque period, Romanticism, Realism, Impressionism, Symbolism, Cubism and modern abstract art.
Special attention is devoted to paintings by J.C. Dahl and Romanticism, Christian Krohg and Realism, Edvard Munch’s renowned works, as well as Norwegian evocative painting from the turn of the last century.
Central attractions include Edvard Munch’s The Scream and Madonna and paintings by Cézanne and Monet.
Paintings by Picasso and several other artists are also on display.
In the exhibition on abstract art, one could see some striking works. A particular one I found of great interest was entitled ‘The Universal Flag.’
With more than 4,000 paintings, 1,000 sculptures and nearly 50,000 works on paper, the National Gallery’s art collection is the most comprehensive and wide ranging in Norway, and one of the largest of its kind in Northern Europe.
Michelangelo is said to have taken four years to adorn the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Leonardo da Vinci is said to have taken three years to finish ‘The Last Supper.’ Dahl is said to have taken six years to paint ‘Stalheim’; remarkably, he did it while he was nowhere near a fjord in Norway!
All these eminent artists worked in an age devoid of photography, computers, internet, trains, aeroplanes and mobile phones. They suffered innumerable hardships while creating their works. Since they simply loved what they were doing at the time, they would have surely derived immense joy and satisfaction while pursuing their creative goals.
Leads one to wonder how creativity originates. We may know the external circumstances and the trials and tribulations they faced. We may marvel at the outstanding works of art they have produced. We may surmise as to the motivation and the feeling behind each work. But would we ever know the precise moment when the germ of an idea really hit them? How long did it simmer within them before taking a tangible shape? Unless they have left behind an autobiographical account, or someone else has covered their life and times in some detail, we might never be able to identify the real point of origin of their creative outburst.
Surely, all great artists have a streak of divinity in them. Besides, they have passion for their form of art. Patience and perseverance would be only two of their several sterling qualities. They would also have been lucky to get mentors who spotted and nurtured their talents. Some blossomed in adversity, enabled perhaps only by their innermost conviction.
We may not know the exact point of conception. We may be unaware of the technical details or the process of eventual delivery. But we shall be forever grateful that they have left behind a rich tapestry of the dance of life, capturing its precious moments for posterity. It is a legacy which continues to attract, entice and inspire artists and laymen alike all over the world.
Note: ‘Scream’ and ‘Stalheim’ reproductions are courtesy Wikipedia. Others are a result of my photographic skills, which are severely limited. Please bear with me for deficiencies – if you notice any – in these.
that is a lovely post! Some of the paintings are truly exceptional. And I had never paid much attention to classical painters from Norway.. now I think I must. I especially like the two girls in traditional costumes standing and chatting at a stile…abstract has never been my cup of tea 🙂 Thankyou for the wonderful post.
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Pleasure is mine. Glad you liked it. Thank you!
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This is a beautiful summary of what you can find at the National Gallery – really enjoyed the tour. The magnitude of these artists creativity is astounding – I do wonder whatever sparked their vision for these magnificent pieces of art.
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Could not agree with you more. I have so many other paintings to share but used only a few here!
Many thanks for reading and commenting!
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Wow, so many of these are gorgeous! Thanks for posting them. I wonder what the story is of the sad/thoughtful little princess…
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Yes, that would need further research. Glad you liked the post. Thank you.
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I loved this post and wish I was there in person to take it all in. Like you, The Universal Flag has also got me thinking…
Don’t worry about your photography. It is great enough to make me want to see all this for myself which is saying a lot.
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Glad you liked it. Hope you get an opportunity to do so some time soon!
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you are one lucky man to see these artworks on a wall of a museum rather than a book…. thanks for sharing this wonderful interpretation.
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Yes, indeed. It was a great experience. Thank you.
Last month, I was also lucky to have been able to spend some time at The Louvre. Have not had the time to compose a post and share some of the photographs!
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great post;lovely pictures
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Thank you!
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This is truly a most impressive summary of the collection at Nasjonalgalleriet. Thank you, tusen takk! 🙂
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Glad you liked it. Barehyggelig.
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Great post. Well written, lots of thought put into it. Now I wish I visited!
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Thank you!
May be the dice of life some day will provide another opportunity to you!!
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Perhaps you may like this one as well;
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What a wonderful repertoire of paintings by great artists who have given to the world marvellous pieces of art painstakingly done over years with true passion and determination devoid of any sort of assistance from modern day technology or tools and equipments. Even the brushes used were quaint and rugged and not with varying thicknesses that are widely used today but all the same the paintings of yore have been unmatched and with immense creativity and imagination. Thanks for the lovely exposure of the works of art that are truly dances of life!
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Thanks to life which gave me an opportunity to visit the National Gallery in Oslo.
Thank you.
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Reblogged this on ashokbhatia.
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